The Second Thief

Initiation

Theo P.O.V.

I wake up and groan. All the pain that the adrenaline prevented me from feeling hits me at once. I struggle to sit up and notice myself in a wooden building, with white cots, medical supplies, and blonde haired kids working on other kids. I'm in the infirmary. I'm at Camp Half-Blood. The fanboy inside me bubbles up but I shove him down, now is not the time.

I look to my right and see my brother lying on a cot, Grover with his head between his hands between our two cots. Grover, I know what you're thinking, it wasn't your fault, you're a great protector. I cough slightly and Grover shoots up, staring at me.

¨You're awake!¨ he shouts

¨I am.¨ I say, staring at his goat legs. Hey, just because I know they're there, doesn't mean I was prepared to see them in real life. I didn't get a good look last night, because... you know.

¨How do you feel?¨ he asks.

¨Like a bull hit me.¨ I say, irony intended.

¨Yeah, about that. How much do you remember?¨ he asks.

¨All of it, the fight, mom, you unconscious, limping to a house, the whole thing.¨ I say. ¨Oh no, mom.¨ I whisper, looking down. Even if I only really knew her for a day, I have 12 years of memories of her being amazing, so don't look at me like that.

¨Oh, that reminds me.¨ he says. He grabs one of two shoe boxes on a nearby bedside table. ¨This is yours. It was the least I could do for saving my life.¨ he adds.

I take the shoe box from his outstretched hands and open it with shaking hands. Inside lies one of the Minotaur's horns, with a jagged base from getting ripped off and dried blood on the tip from... you know... stabbing it with it's own horn.

¨So... you're a satyr.¨ I say awkwardly.

He does an awkward goat laugh before replying, ¨Yeah... I'm half goat.¨

¨So if satyrs are real, what else is?¨ I ask, trying to act like I have no clue what's going on.

¨That's probably a question for our activities director. Do you want to wait for Percy to wake up, or go now? Oh wait, you said you're in pain, here you go.¨ he says, before grabbing a glass of what looks like apple juice, nectar, and handing it to me.

Knowing what it is, I drink slowly, sipping it. I feel bruises disappearing and energy returning to my body. After I'm done, I feel like I did under the rain, full of energy and my new ADHD going crazy. ¨How do you feel now?¨ he asks.

¨Amazing, like I could kick Gabe 100 yards.¨ I say.

¨Wow, you must feel really good, I don't think he could get off the ground. What did it taste like?¨ he asks.

¨Like mom's blue cookies. Why, did you want some?¨ I ask, acting confused.

¨Oh, thanks for offering, but satyrs can't have any nectar, what I gave you to drink. It would burn us up.¨ he explains.

¨Why would it burn you up, and not me?¨ I ask, acting confused once more. I'm gonna be doing that a lot now.

¨That's also a good question for our activities director. He's-¨ Grover is interrupted by Percy groaning and waking up. Grover goes through the same process with him, giving him nectar, the horn, talking about mom being gone, all of it. ¨Alright, you two think you can stand?¨ he asks.

¨Only one way to find out.¨ I say before putting my feet on the ground and standing up. It was uncomfortable for a second but that went away. Percy seemed to be having a little more trouble. ¨Maybe we should take it slow.¨ I suggest. Grover nods his approval.